Garlic bulbs forming above ground

[Gren]

Just harvested my garlic - a decent year. Planted a couple of bulbs each worth of Lautrec Wight and Czech Red. Both hardnecks from Isle of Wight garlic farm.

About 1 in 5 of the Lautrec Wights seem to have formed their bulbs above ground. Mostly only slightly above ground but one almost half way up the stalk. The new bulb is bursting out of the stalk and where the bulb would normally be is just and unsplit slightly mushy 'onion' looking root.

Photo below - any thoughts? Dry weather this spring/summer, perhaps that?

[Scarlet]

Unfortunately you have white onion rot. The bulbs go soft and mushy. this stays in the soil for a number of years. You need to try somewhere else next year. I had it on most of my garlic this year. There ahave been a few threads on it recently.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ear_85414.html

The bulbs bursting out of the stalk are quite common. They are bulbils and are often seen growing along the stem.

[Gren]

Thanks - I tend to move things around my raised beds so I'll have to remember to the the spuds and parsnips there next year.

[Scarlet]

Don't put them in the compost either. Bag them and chuck in the bin.

[Jay-ell]

I have the bulbils in my garlic stems with green shoots emerging. Should I plant them up straight away.

Bad luck with having onion rot Gren.

Im sure I read that rather than spores this reproduces by corms (for want of a more accurate word) which spring into life when activated by certain chemicals produced by alliums.

If this is the case could the rot be tricked into activity during the none onion seasons by watering with onion/garlic/chive water so that it finds no host plants and dies?

[Jay-ell]

To answer my own question here's a link to an article about controlling white rot in that manner.

vegetable diseases

[bearded bloke]

^^^ Nice find